Jo has spent years working on her phD on the Holocaust and fighting for feminist causes, but that work is not where her true passions lie. She wants to fulfill a childhood dream and write comedy and comic novels. Jo wonders: am I allowed to stop saving the world and make fun art? Elizabeth Gilbert offers Jo advice along with her friend, the performer and playwright Sarah Jones. And we check in with Jo several weeks later to hear how the advice landed and inspired change.   Special Guest: Sarah Jones is a playwright and performer, best known for her one-woman Broadway show Bridge and Tunnel which won a special Tony award. Her latest project called Sell/Buy/Date is about sex trafficking and exploitation. And she's about to launch her own podcast, Play Date with Sarah Jones, with Public Radio International. Find out more about her at sarahjonesonline.com

Magic Lessons Ep. 201: "You Have a Screaming, Not a Calling." Featuring Sarah Jones

Bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert returns for the second season of her hit podcast MAGIC LESSONS, ready to help another batch of aspiring artists overcome their fears and create more joyfully. This year’s guest experts include Neil Gaiman, Gary Shteyngart, Amy Purdy, Michael Ian Black, Brandon Stanton, Martha Beck, and Glennon Doyle Melton. 

MAGIC LESSONS art courtesy of Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

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This week, on the season finale of Magic Lessons, Elizabeth Gilbert takes a deep dive into the some of the season’s themes with writer and activist Glennon Doyle Melton. They talk about Melton’s trajectory from blogger to best-selling author, and she offers a benediction to the eight creators who shared their stories this season. Special Guest: Glennon Doyle Melton is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoirs Love Warrior and Carry On, Warrior:The Power of Embracing Your Messy, Beautiful Life. She’s the creator of the online community Momastery and the founder and president of the non-profit Together Rising, which has raised millions of dollars for families in crisis all over the world. This week's sponsors: Audible.com, Casper.com, TheGreatCoursesPlus.com, and Stamps.com  Use the promo code: Lessons

Magic Lessons Ep. 209: “Show Up Before You’re Ready” featuring Glennon Doyle Melton

This week on Magic Lessons, Elizabeth Gilbert advises Hope, a spoken-word poet in Ohio. A self-described introvert, Hope wants to take her poetry to the next level, but she's scared to submit her work to journals and enter poetry slams. She's paralyzed by a deep fear of rejection. Liz calls up her friend, the writer and life coach Martha Beck, for more guidance on Hope’s case. Special Guest: Martha Beck is a speaker, writer, and life coach. Her bestselling books include Expecting Adam, Finding Your Own North Star, and Diana, Herself: An Allegory of Awakening. Beck is also a columnist for O, The Oprah Magazine. Find out more about her at marthabeck.com This week's sponsors: Casper, The Great Courses Plus, and Stamps.com Use the promo code: Lessons

Magic Lessons Ep. 208: “Leap Into the Fire” featuring Martha Beck

This week on Magic Lessons, Elizabeth Gilbert advises Britta, a former lawyer-turned- writer in Amsterdam struggling to make progress on her second book. After success with her first novel, Britta made several failed attempts to start her second. She can’t find the flow and fears she has lost the the joy in writing. Liz calls up her friend, the prolific writer and novelist Neil Gaiman, for more guidance on Britta’s case. Special Guest: Neil Gaiman writes fiction, comic books, graphic novels, journalism, audio theater, and films. His works include The Sandman, American Gods, and the children’s novel and animated film Coraline. His new book, a collection of essays about artists, myths, and memories, is called A View from the Cheap Seats. Find out more about him at Neil Gaiman.com This week's sponsors: Audible, The Great Courses Plus, and Stamps.com Use the promo code: Lessons

Magic Lessons Ep. 207: “Living the Dream and Facing the Nightmare” featuring Neil Gaiman

This week on Magic Lessons, Elizabeth Gilbert advises Penelope, a dance teacher in New Jersey, who wants to create a dance performance to mark her 60th birthday. Even though she’s been dancing her whole life, she’s having trouble finding the courage to pull this off. For expert guidance, Liz calls up one of the most courageous dancers she knows: Amy Purdy — a Paralympian snowboarder and semifinalist on Dancing With the Stars.  Special Guest: Amy Purdy is a snowboarder, Paralympian, dancer, model, actor, and speaker. Her memoir On My Own Two Feet: From Losing My Legs To Learning The Dance Of Life is published by HarperCollins. You can find out more about her at amypurdy.com This week's sponsors: Casper, The Great Courses Plus, and Stamps.com Use the promo code: Lessons

Magic Lessons Ep. 206: "Dancing From the Heart" featuring Amy Purdy

This week on Magic Lessons, Elizabeth Gilbert advises Colleen, an advertising executive in New York City, who dreams of being a storyteller but fears it's a frivolous pursuit. Colleen hopes to create a one-woman show, mining stories from her childhood growing up in an Irish Catholic family that ran and owned a bar. Liz calls up the writer Gary Shteyngart for additional expertise on the pain and relief that comes with telling family stories. Special Guest: Gary Shteyngart is the award-winning author of the novels Super Sad True Love Story, Absurdistan, and The Russian Debutante’s Handbook. Born in Leningrad, his memoir Little Failure is a candid and moving account of growing up as a Russian emigre in America. Find out more about him and his work at garyshteyngart.com. This week's sponsors: Audible, The Great Courses Plus, and Stamps.com Use the promo code: Lessons

Magic Lessons Ep. 201: "You Have a Screaming, Not a Calling." Featuring Sarah Jones

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